Teaching kids has made me a better conductor

September 24, 2012 at 10:39 PM

I've recently started conducting a lively amateur orchestra in north London. Whilst I have always harbored an interest in conducting, what I never imagined was that teaching large groups of beginner violinists would provide such useful training. I've never been one to talk down to children, so moving to working with adults has proven a simpler transition than I first imagined. Both need motivating, help and lots of patience. Conducting is essentially educating, only with the use of a baton, fancier words and ruder jokes. If you can motivate a roomful of kids with little or no musical training to play together, a room full of keen amateurs is a breeze.